Diary Of The Fallen
by sHaDoWoFtHeFaLlEnAnGeL
Summary: The events of Katherine Barlow's life. From being a schoolteacher, to the heartbreak of losing Sam, to the hardships of being an outlaw. Let's just hope I can finish it...
1. April 23, 1890

**Microsoft Word is up and running after 2 MONTHS. I feel dumb. All I really needed was the product key, which was in a drawer. In my room….**

**I don't know why, but I've had a recent obsession with Holes. I've always liked the book and the movie ever since we read and watched it in 6****th**** grade, but all the sudden I'm obsessed. Especially with the story of Kate and Sam. It's so sad and gets to me every time! I know Kate's diary has been done several times and isn't very creative at this point, but I just couldn't resist!**

**Well I'm sure you're all looking at the screen like this: O_O**

**And I'm finally done with my foolish ranting, so you can read the story now.**

April 23, 1890

Dear Sweet Journal,

Linda, a student of mine brought me this journal today, said she wanted me to have it. I feel like a child again myself, sitting in my bedroom and writing in my diary that only I would ever see. Considering this is my first entry, I suppose I should introduce myself.

My name is Katherine Anne Barlow. I'm twenty two years old. I live in a small town in Texas called Green Lake. Some say it's heaven on earth. They may be right. I'm a schoolteacher, a job that I adore. I enjoy teaching children and adults alike. Many adults here never had the opportunity to learn to read or write as children like I did, growing up in a city like Dallas.

It is almost 7:30, therefore time for me to prepare for night class. I often wonder if the men come to learn or are hoping for something else.

**Well? Love it? Hate it? Really wanna punch me in the face right now? Talk to me! I promise I won't rant like this on every chapter! **

**~Sabrina**


	2. April 24, 1890

**Woohoo! Another chapter already!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Holes. It all belongs to Louis Sachar.**

April 24, 1890

Dear Sweet Journal,

When school was over, the children and I met outside the schoolhouse none other than Sam "the onion man" as he is known as fondly by the people of Green Lake. We listen to Sam tell of the wonders of the onion. The thing is, I believe everything he says now. Ever since one of his onion tonics cured one of my students, Becca Tennyson, I don't dare doubt the magic of onions. He gives me a bag of onions, and I give him a jar of spiced peaches. Trout Walker, the son of the owner of the lake, whispers among his friends. I hear my name and "angel", and glance back. He smiles and winks at me. He and his friends laugh. I turn back to Sam and try to ignore them.


	3. April 28, 1890

**Here I am…again! I still don't have any reviews, but I guess it isn't 2003, is it? ;) Oh well…**

April 28, 1890

Dear Sweet Journal,

Since I gave the children time to read on their own, I have time to write.

I had a relaxing weekend, just being able to enjoy the view of the lake from the comfort of my cabin. I must admit though, I miss the schoolhouse and the children and am glad to be back to teaching. Today has been a rainy day, and there's a leak in the roof of the schoolhouse. I just put a bucket underneath, considering it's really only bothersome when it rains and would be too expensive to get it fixed.

The hole in the roof will be fixed after all. After school got out this afternoon, Sam stopped by to give me a sack of onions. He noticed the water dripping into the bucket. "I can fix that." He offered. "Sam, are you going to try and tell me that your onions can cure a leaky roof?" I joked. "No, I'm just good with my hands. I built my own boat." I believed him. His arms would be strong from rowing his boat across the lake to his onion field every day. So he made me a deal. He'll fix the roof tomorrow in exchange for six jars of my famous spiced peaches. A fair trade, I think. And I'd happily give him six jars of peaches any day.

**Yay, it's getting interesting now :)**


	4. April 29, 1890

**Special shout out to **_**fortheloveofbacon **_**for reviewing! **

April 29, 1890

Dear Sweet Journal,

I was up all last night making spiced peaches to give Sam. It was worth it though. He came to fix the roof after school today, not wanting to be a disruption while I was teaching. I sat grading papers while he worked on the roof. Although I had to shout and my throat is now dry and sore, it was very nice to have someone to talk to. I've lived here for five years, but I've never made any close friends. Even after today, I feel like I know Sam better. He is a very kind and smart man. He told me about his onion field. The water runs up hill, and the onions grow very large and sweet. Those onions are very sweet, and they seem to cure everything. Maybe they really are magic. I only knew Sam casually before, saying "hello" and "goodbye" now and then. He did get that roof fixed up fast. Less than an hour, actually. But that's just it. It ended too soon. I don't think I'll get another chance to talk with him like today, me being busy with school and him with his onion field across the lake.

So I must admit, while he finished up the roof, I tried to think of other reasons for him to come back. I happened to glance at the windows. They didn't open. Maybe he could fix that. It would be nice to have a breeze. It gets awfully hot inside this time of year, and the weather outside has been beautiful.

When I gave Sam his spiced peaches, he guaranteed the roof for five years, and asked if there was anything else. I told him about the windows. With a smile, he said "I can fix that."

Unfortunately, this evening wasn't as pleasant as this afternoon. The evening class was full of men, including Trout Walker. He doesn't come very often, once every couple weeks maybe. And he doesn't come to learn as the other men do. He only comes to harass me, and sometimes others. Trout is such an ignorant, disrespectful man, while he expects the ultimate respect from others. You cannot expect what you cannot give. As he walked in tonight, he stood in the doorway and looked me up and down. It made me nervous, but I tried to act unstirred. Trout gave me a nod and smile, as if he were approving of something, and sat down in the front seat closest to my desk. Great. I knew this would be a long evening. I wrote sentences on the chalkboard and the class read them off the board. They did very well, but then Trout had to open his mouth, as usual. "The duck may swim on the lake, but my daddy owns the lake!" the class burst out laughing. I didn't find it amusing at all. I decided to dismiss them, because we weren't going to get anything else productive done now, and I'd had enough. Then, Trout asked me to come to take a ride in his motorboat and have a picnic with him. A picnic alone with him? Riding on that boat which spewed out all that disgusting smoke all over the lake? I don't think so. I decided to be polite though. "No thank you Mr. Walker." I said. But it wasn't good enough. "Come on now! No one says no to Trout Walker!" was he kidding himself? If that's true, then I guess it's about time someone did. "I believe I just did." I told him coldly. I happened to notice Sam standing in the back of the room, setting his supplies down to be ready to fix the windows tomorrow. Trout spun around on his heel, purposely knocking into a desk. He made sure to scowl at poor Sam on the way out the door.

Sam and I glanced at each other, and couldn't help but burst out laughing, because of how immature Trout is. "What's he gonna do? Go tell his daddy on you?" Sam laughed. "Probably." I answered. "Good thing Thomas Walker has more sense than his son."

"Are you alright, Miss Katherine?" Sam asked softly.

"I'm fine." I answered. "I'm just worn out." I told him, honestly.

"If you ever need anything, you can always come to me." He told me. With that, he walked out the door, smiling warmly at me as he closed the door.

**Well there you are! I hope you enjoyed the little scene I added. Merry Christmas to everyone!**


	5. April 30, 1890

**BLARG! Sleepovers and holidays and computer problems OH MY! There's the explanation as to why I haven't updated. I've also been pretty pre-occupied. I got an iPod touch. Her name is Lily Monster :3 Last story of 2011! Thank you to **_**fortheloveofbacon **_**for the reviews :D**

April 30, 1890

Dear Sweet Journal,

Last day of the rainiest month of the year; April. Linda Miller, the little red-headed girl who gave me this journal, stayed after school so I could read her some more poetry. She became very interested in it after I read some to the class. So we read while Sam fixed the windows. I read aloud one of my favorites, Annabel Lee by Poe. I was caught off guard when Sam finished it from memory. "Oh, Sam." I said, enchanted by his interest in poetry. "You know, that door doesn't hang straight." I informed him. As always, he said "I can fix that."

I must admit, although I hardly know Sam personally, I feel like I've known him forever. He's not like everyone else around here. The men think they're giants. But they're like dust in God's eyes. The women believe they only live to please them. I feel like Sam understands me, like we share a special connection. When I'm with him, it's as if we're the only two people in the world. I feel secure. I feel home.

**Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I'm just feeling lazy and can't come up with anything too interesting at the moment. And the line about the men thinking they're giants but to God they're like dust, I got from Titanic. It's a deleted scene called Shooting Star. It's amazing! Look it up on YouTube! NOW! **

**I hope to be updating next year!**

**~Sabrina**


	6. May 3, 1890

**This chapter is going to be in a little different style than the rest, just FYI ;) The italics are what are actually happening from third person. **_**Fortheloveofbacon, **_**I think this is going to be your long chapter :D**

May 3, 1890

Dear Sweet Journal,

Today has been a cold, dark, and miserable day. No school for the children today because of the heavy rain. I needed to come to the school anyway to pick up my journal and poetry book. The storm has only worsened, so I'll stay here until it clears.

It is now evening and I'm feeling quite depressed. As I read a book of poetry by Poe, I'm reminded of Sam. The way he finished poems from memory, the way he smiled, the way his eyes sparkled. But alas, I ran out of things for him to fix. The roof, the windows, the door, the desk-it's all perfect. People stop by to take a look at the school. This may very well be the finest schoolhouse in the state of Texas.

Before rowing to the other side of the lake yesterday, Sam gave me a feather. He said it was magic, and that if I wished on it with all my heart, it would come true. I hold it close to me.

I miss him terribly. My eyes are tearing up, and I feel alone and empty. I believe I have one more thing for him to fix…

_At that moment, a drop of water fell on the page of Katherine's diary. This time it wasn't from the roof, because it no longer leaked. Tears turned into sobs for Katherine, and they continued to hit her desk and the paper, imitating the rain outside. Her golden hair began to come out of place, strands of it sticking to her face. Then, like an angel sent from heaven, there was Sam. He took hold of her hand, and although he was nearly in tears himself from seeing her like this, like always, he said "I can fix that." Katherine managed a smile as Sam gently pulled her to her feet and closed the distance between them, softly pressing his lips to hers. The two wrapped their arms around each other, their kiss growing more passionate. _

_Sam and Katherine were too lost in each other to notice Trout Walker outside on his horse, even though it was storming, admiring the town that would one day be his. He halted his horse when he was met with the sight of the Negro onion picker kissing the woman he wanted to marry. "Shit!" he growled, as his rage and disgust heightened to its peak. Trout painfully dug his spurred boots into the horse's side. He would tell the whole town. Those two will be punished…_

_After what seemed like an eternity, Sam and Katherine pulled away, only slightly. Sam wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks with his thumb. Katherine laid her head on his chest and he held her close. _

_When it was late and the storm had seized, Sam walked Katherine home. Once they got to the door of her cabin, he kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, Miss Katherine. Sleep well." Sam walked swiftly away. He knew what he had just done was illegal. But the law was wrong. Under his skin, he was just like everybody else. He loved her. That's all that mattered. They could run away together. Settle on the other side of the lake near his onion field. _

_Katherine laid in her bed, trying to replay what had just happened. Was it a dream? She sure hoped not. Just like he had fixed the hole in the roof, he had fixed the hole in her heart._

**Tah-Dah! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm awkward with writing scenes like this, so review and tell me how I did :)**

**~Sabrina**


	7. May 4, 1890

**Yes my dears, I'm afraid this is where things get depressing :(**

**I'm very happy, though! Thanks to **_**fortheloveofbacon and violingirl101 :D**_** Because of you, the need for tickles in my peach has been fulfilled! **

**That sounded so wrong. On that strange note, let's get the sadness over with, because we all know I'll cry like the big baby I am :(**

_First thing the next morning, the sky was quiet and the sun had begun to rise over the lake. Most of the town was still sleeping, but not Charles Walker._

_He was staring out onto the lake, which was peaceful and serene, unlike his mind. Then he noticed Hattie Parker, the butcher's wife, sitting on her patio bench. She seemed to have a troubled look to her as well. He remembered he had seen a flash of grey hair and floral umbrella last night disappear around the schoolhouse after he saw what he saw. Many of the town elders, including Mrs. Parker, went to the town's small church, and got out around the time of last night's events. Maybe, just maybe…_

_Trout approached her cabin. "Mornin', Mrs. Parker." He told her courteously. She glanced up. "Mornin' Mr. Walker." He smiled._

"_It's, uh, awfully early for a woman to be out alone, y'know." Trout informed her. "Where's that husband of yours?"_

"_Asleep." Hattie replied bluntly._

"_Well you have a nice day, Mrs. Parker." Trout bowed and turned to leave a bit disappointed, when he heard Hattie stand up. "Mr. Walker, are there any town laws against blacks and whites being together?" she asked. Trout smirked to himself. He somehow knew this would happen._

"_What do you mean by together?" he asked, turning to face the elder woman. _

"_Romance." She said. "Kissing."_

_Trout smiled again. "Why, yes. The law clearly states that that sort of contact between a Negro and a white is punishable by hanging. For the negro, that is." He responded. "Why, is there something you wanna tell me?"_

"_You saw them too." Hattie stated. "So they will be punished."_

_Trout was getting excited. He would report to the sheriff. Then the whole town would find out. The sheriff would be furious, as he fancied Katherine as well. But Trout was practically the owner of the town and his father was one of the richest men in Texas. Sheriff John Eastwick respected him for that reason._

_Then Trout would destroy that precious schoolhouse of hers._

_Yes. He would do what it takes to show Katherine Barlow that Charles Walker always gets what he wants. One way or another. _

_No worthless Negro would take that away from him._

May 4, 1890

Dear Sweet Journal,

I'm concerned. It is 10:00 according to my pocket watch and no children have shown up for school. It should've started at 9:00. I wondered if perhaps it was Saturday, as I'm still walking on air from kissing Sam. But it is in fact Thursday. Why aren't they here?

I am afraid now. I read the law book that everyone owns. It says it's against the law for colored people to kiss whites. That means if anyone finds out, my Sam will be hung. It's not right! Love knows no color. We're all equal under the eyes of God.

I have to warn him. Maybe we can leave before anyone even finds out. Go to a place where there is no prejudice and we can be together.

_Katherine peaked out her window. All was silent, not even one boat on the lake. She searched around, no people were in sight. It was strange, for Green Lake was usually quite social, even at this time of day. None of the shops appeared to be open or anything. It was as if everyone had just vanished. _

_Katherine cautiously opened the door (which now hangs straight), and made her way outside. Birds were calling to each other, and the sun shone over the lake, making the water sparkle. She jumped as something brushed against the bottom of her skirt. A mother duck and four baby ducklings waddled their way to the shore. _

_Katherine smiled as the clumsy babies, obviously new to the world around them, tried to keep up with their mother. Once the little family made it safely to the water, Katherine turned to see Mary Lou the donkey in her small paddock, staring at Katherine with curious eyes. She made her way over to the animal and stroked her muzzle. "Hey there, old girl. Sorry I didn't bring you anything." The old donkey nodded her head and then softly nuzzled Katherine's cheek. She giggled. "Where's Sam?" she asked Mary Lou, even though obviously the donkey wouldn't answer her question. _

_Suddenly, Mary Lou seemed to get very nervous. She pinned her ears back and pawed at the ground, braying softly. "Easy girl." Katherine cooed to her. The donkey bared her teeth and brayed louder. This was unusual for Mary Lou, as she was a gentle old soul. _

_Katherine felt a tap on her shoulder, and was looking into the eyes of none other than Trout Walker. _

"_Ahh, Miss Katherine." He greeted her with the usual arrogant grin. _

"_Mr. Walker." She sighed. Oh, great. Here he is with another one of his pathetic attempts to woo me, she thought. _

"_Aren't you supposed to be teaching?" he asked. _

"_Umm, there's no school today." She replied, not knowing what else to say. _

_He stepped closer. "I see. How intriguing." Someone learned a new word. "Well, instead of wasting this sunny day talking to a silly animal, why don't we do something?" He removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair, then continued to inch his face closer to hers. She looked down, trying to avoid his stare. She could smell alcohol on his breath. "What do you say to that boat ride, huh?" He put his arms on each side of her, and gripped the fence behind her, trapping her. "I cleaned it up, and even gave it a fresh coat of paint." I have her now, he thought. She either does what I say, or she pays the price._

_Katherine began to tremble, but held her ground nonetheless. "No thank you. I'm afraid I have other plans, Mr. Walker." This is not the response Trout wanted to hear._

"_C'mon now, none of that." He took a loose lock of her blonde hair and twirled it, admiring the way the light caught it. He then inched his hand to the back of her head and she yelped as he pulled her ear to his face._

"_I saw you yesterday, kissing the onion picker." He growled in her ear. "Now, you can do what I say, and we'll forget all about this little incident, or I'll have to hurt that pretty face of yours and do away with your little boyfriend."_

_Katherine was afraid now. He knew. Who else knew? She hated Trout! She hated him, hated him, hated him. She would never marry him, but she'd never let him hurt Sam. _

"_Get away from me, you bastard!" She spat, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. He pressed against her and pulled her closer. _

"_Wrong answer, girl." _

_Katherine clenched her eyes closed, waiting for the blow that was sure to come._

_Suddenly, Trout let go of her and screamed in pain. When Katherine opened her eyes, he was bleeding from his hand and muttering curses, jumping around like an idiot. Mary Lou had bitten him. _

_Katherine took this opportunity to flee to her cabin and lock the door._

"_Bitch!" Trout screamed in her direction. He'd never been more furious in his life. Oh, she'd done it now…_

_Mary Lou brayed, almost like she was laughing at him. _

_If only he'd had his gun, he'd shoot the damn donkey right then and there._

May 4, 1890 (continued)

They've found out! Trout tried to hurt me! They're going to kill Sam!

Oh, Sam. Where are you? Please come back so we can leave this hell…

_Katherine gave into the tears and collapsed on her bed. All she wanted was to leave, go far away. But more than that, she wanted Sam. She wanted him there, safe in her arms._

_Eventually she cried herself into an uneasy sleep._

_Katherine was awakened by the shrill sound of whinnies. Men shouting. Glass breaking. She rubbed her soar eyes, getting up to look out the window. What she saw struck her with horror. _

_Men on horses were throwing torches, burning down the schoolhouse. _

_She raced out the door, screaming at them. _

"_Stop it! Stop it!" She screamed. The men only laughed. She ran to the one person who could stop them._

"_Sheriff!" she stumbled into the sheriff's office. "They're destroying the school!"_

_The sheriff turned to her, a dangerous glint in his eye. _

"_Give me a kiss." He stumbled toward her. He smelled heavily of alcohol. "You kissed the onion picker." _

"_You're drunk!" she slapped him. He only laughed._

"_I always get drunk before a hanging." He replied._

"_If you hang him, then you'd better hang me too, because I kissed him back."_

"_It ain't against the law for you to kiss him, just for him to kiss you." He explained it to her like he was explaining how 2 plus 2 equals 4 to a child. _

_He reached for her, but she fled._

"_Sam! Sam!" she called. Her heart stopped for a moment when she saw Mary Lou laying on the ground. The donkey had been shot in the head. But then she saw Sam on the shore of the lake. She ran down the small stairs leading from the town to the lake, almost tripping a couple times. _

_When she got down there, Sam turned around to face her. _

"_Thank God I found you!" She cried, throwing her arms around him._

"_Katherine, you're alright." He hugged her back. They quickly pulled away, remembering their situation._

"_We have to leave. The sheriff said he's going to hang you!"_

_Sam looked around, and glanced at his beloved donkey lying motionless on the hill. A tear rolled down his cheek. _

"_Okay." He agreed._

_Hand in hand, they ran to Sam's rowboat. He helped her in before climbing in himself. He rowed as fast as he could, trying to make it to the other side, but then came the sound of a motor, and the ugly sight of smoke. Katherine turned around to see Trout Walker and a couple friends in that new motorboat. He had a gun. She turned to Sam, knowing what was going to happen. She began to sob again. She whispered the words that he needed to know, before either of them left._

"_I love you, Sam."_

_Then came the sickening crack of a gunshot. Katherine screamed as Sam fell into the water below. She flipped the boat over, trying to find him, to save him. But no luck._

_The Walker's boat pulled up next to her, and one of Trout's friends, a Mexican man, lifted her into the boat by the arms. She struggled. She didn't want to be rescued. She had nothing to live for. Why didn't they take her instead?_

_Once returned to shore, Katherine walked up to her cabin, exhausted and heartbroken._

_She was a mess. Her hair had come completely undone, and hung in wet tangles down her back. Her dress was soaked, and she was shivering. But it didn't matter now. She could care less whether or not she caught cold. _

_She was too numb, too empty to even cry._

_Once she got into her bedroom, she began to remove her wet clothes. She decided not to even bother with putting on a nightgown. _

_As she was removing her dress, something tumbled to the ground. She bent down to pick it up._

_Perfectly dry and untouched was the magic feather Sam had given her._

**That was depressing! I didn't actually cry, but still. That might've actually been the longest thing I've ever written. **

**Anyway, R/R .**


	8. May 7, 1890

**It's me! Aren't you happy to see me? Because you love me so much? **

**Heh, I doubt it ;)**

**I'm back because Kate wouldn't let me rest until I finished this scene. Yeah she's still kind of proud of herself for shooting the sheriff…**

**Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue. I've already spent my Christmas money…**

_For three days, Katherine Barlow never left her bed. Not once. Not even to eat, drink, or bathe. _

_She lay staring blankly, up at her ceiling. Sometimes she would close her eyes, wishing, hoping this was all just a nasty dream and she would wake up and it would all go away._

_No such luck. She always opened her eyes to the same room, same sun shining brightly through the windows, mocking her, as if it didn't care._

_Nobody seemed to care. The town went on with their same mindless, friendly chatter. Like nothing happened. Like they didn't take an innocent life and destroy another. _

_Katherine didn't feel like crying anymore. An unfamiliar numbness had set in. She just felt…_

_Empty._

_The whole damn town and everyone in it could just burn up and die for all she cared. _

_Yes. _

_At the moment that thought crossed her mind, something new replaced the emptiness inside of her._

_Rage._

_Not only did she not care if they all died, she __**wanted **__them to. _

_The sheriff was the first person who crossed her mind. He was drunk! He didn't even try to help her! But instead asked-no more like demanded-a kiss. A stupid kiss!_

_Then she thought._

_And smiled to herself._

_A new strength filled her. It was called Vengeance._

_Oh yes. He would get his kiss alright._

_Sheriff John Eastwick was sitting at his desk, trying to recover from his hangover. The Walkers' had thrown a mad party last night. As usual, he'd had too much to drink. He looked up when he heard the soft sound of heels clicking in the doorway._

_He looked up to meet none other than the pretty face of Miss Katherine Barlow. She wore a red dress and a thick coat of lipstick. She looked absolutely gorgeous, her blue eyes lined in dark eyeliner, making them glow._

"_Morning, sheriff." She said icily. She removed her red matching floral hat. "You still want that kiss?"_

_He grinned up at her. He knew she'd come around. Wait until he told Trout…_

_*_**Bang***

_He lay motionless over the desk, a gruesome look of surprise on his face. Katherine bent down and kissed him on the forehead, leaving a perfect blood red lip mark._

_Katherine calmly walked out of the office. The town began to emerge, hearing the gunshot and seeing the broken woman that hadn't set foot outside in three days._

_Katherine rode away on the horse she'd stolen-a buckskin stallion-and hardly looked up. But when she looked back, she caught the dark eyed gaze of 10 year old Linda Miller, standing alongside her parents. She looked at her schoolteacher, with confusion and fear. _

_And almost…_

_Guilt._

_Katherine turned back to the road ahead, and kept riding. _

_Never to look back._

_After hours of endlessly riding to God-knows-where, it was dark. Katherine finally stopped at an abandoned building in the middle of the desert that followed Green Lake. _

"_The Ugly Duckling" the old sign read. It must've been a restraint, or maybe a tavern. But it was abandoned and nobody cared about it, or came to visit._

_The perfect place for me, thought Katherine. She tied up her horse by the reins to a pole that was somehow still standing, and sat down, going through her small duffle bag. She'd brought a poetry book, a change of clothes, a water bottle, and her journal. She'd stuck her feather onto her hat._

_She picked up her journal and began to write._

May 7, 1890 (I think)

Dear Journal,

I killed the sheriff and gave him that kiss he wanted. I'm a different person now. I'm no longer Miss Katherine, the schoolteacher. Now I'm Kate Barlow, the murderer.

_Katheri-uhh, Kate, looked up to see the stars, sparkling like diamonds in the vast desert sky. She'd heard that all the stars were spirits of the dead, watching over the world. _

_Was Sam up there?_

_The thought crept into her head, and a sob escaped from her chest. _

"_Oh Sam, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. It's all my fault…" she cried, burying her face in her arms. _

"_Why'd you have to go so young? Now my heart is broken and I'm all alone…"_

_A gentle breeze swept over the desert and caressed Kate's face, blowing her hair to the side. She could swear she heard a familiar voice._

"_I can fix that."_

**I actually can feel a tear coming on writing the end of this ;(**

**The school week is starting tomorrow and I'm having a birthday party this next weekend, so I may not be able to update as frequently, but I'll try. **

**Grandfather has left the building! (Inside joke)**

**~Sabrina**


	9. May 8, 1890

**I didn't plan on updating today, because I'm feeling lazy. Like really, 10 minutes ago I couldn't even bare the idea of dragging my lazy butt out of bed. Now here I am, in the living room, watching Beetlejuice :D**

**And I must admit, I'm kind of addicted to my own story…**

**I'm going to just start responding to reviews on here;**

**Fortheloveofbacon: I like the italics thing, too. It is pretty creative. On chapter 7, I couldn't stop writing! It was intense. Hattie Parker was the one who saw them in the book, and Trout saw them in the movie. So I figured, "hey, why don't I make something of that…" Btw, sorry for making you cry and scare your cat ;) That little ending scene was quite emotional. But for me, if it gets to the reader like that, I feel I've done well. **

**Violingirl101: I was going through looking for Kate fics, and I found The Greenlake Girls. It definitely sounded different, and it was. It's very creative and well written. Plus it actually did make me like the warden/Lou better :) And Linda is hilarious! What Emily (your other reviewer, yeah I creep), and I have in common that we're only about 2% less hyper than Linda. Well, especially when I get a hold of those Monster drinks…**

**But anyway, I'm really glad you like my story. I originally wasn't planning on writing it, but when my little obsession popped up a few months ago, I started reading Holes fics (Kate/Sam ones in particular, their story is my favorite part), and was unhappy seeing that there aren't very many of them. I mean there are a few really good ones, but they've never been finished or are just one-shots. It bothered me enough that I just had to write this. I added the whole italics thing because it would be much more interesting, and with just Kate's diary it would be too short.**

**But yeah, I'm really glad you guys like it so much. I thought it would be a fail, that's why I didn't want to write it in the first place, but I'm actually quite satisfied with it so far. Wow this is getting long, so I'll shut up and let Miss Kate do her talking :)**

_The sun finally began to rise, a sight which Kate greeted almost happily. She hadn't slept all night. That's the thing about deserts. Brutally hot in the day time, nearly freezing at night._

_She'd planned out in her head what she would do today. She had to find a place to stay, an inn or something. And for that, she needed money. Which she didn't have._

_So she needed to get her hands on some. Around here there was only one way to do that; rob a bank._

_Kate sat up, stumbling clumsily over to Spirit, her horse. She'd decided he needed a name, rather than just "the horse I stole". She was taken by surprise at how weak her legs were, and a wave of fatigue swept over her. She had the sudden urge to just lay back down, curl up, and sleep the day away. But she couldn't stay out here, she'd die for sure. Three days max, she'd once heard from somewhere._

_Although for the most part, dying sounded perfectly fine to her, there was something inside of her that pushed her on. A fire that she'd never even known she had. But what was the point now? Why live when she could die and possibly be with her love?_

_Sam would want her to go on._

_A tear slid down her cheek._

_No. No more tears. _

_She'd show them all what she was made of._

_She was no longer Miss Katherine, the sweet schoolteacher. That girl had died with Sam._

_She was Kate Barlow, the tough, the cold, the notorious._

_Kate didn't play nice. She also didn't surrender._

_She'd survive._

May 8, 1890

Dear Journal,

Today is my first bank robbery. I'll have to ride to somewhere far enough away, as there is probably a warrant for my arrest.

I plan to find an inn somewhere to stay in. I'm unsure of what my plans are for the future. I'll just keep moving along and see what comes my way.

_Kate rode through the desert, finally coming to a small town, similar to Green Lake, but not as beautiful. Sin fin Desierto, it was called. The buildings were worn out, but people greeted her as she rode through, a few men tipping their hats at her. Kate didn't even look up. _

_She made her way into the small bank. A man in about his forties sat at the desk, with jet black hair and beady blue eyes, which shone with a familiar arrogance. _

"_Why howdy there, young lady. What's a pretty thing like you doing here at such an hour?" the man asked. Time for Kate to charm him. She forced a seductive smile._

"_I just heard some good things about the bank here. Oh, but I'm not interested in the money." She added. The man grinned slyly, showing off his yellow teeth. He stood up and walked toward her. _

_Kate whipped out her pistol and pulled the trigger before he could make his move._

_Then applied a thick coat of lipstick._

_And kissed him on the forehead. He obviously wanted that kiss too, just like the sheriff._

_She quickly ran for the stacks of money, stuffing her duffle bag. There wasn't much time though, for the townspeople began heading for the bank, hearing the bang. _

_She made a dash for the back door, hopping on Spirit's back. She'd escaped unnoticed._

**There you go, loves. Sin fin desierto, the name of the town, actually means endless desert in Spanish. Pretty cool, eh? I'd love to write more, but it's midnight on a school night, and I'm about to get busted by my mother.**

**~Sabrina**


	10. June 1890

**Yay! I'm not dead! Last week was my birthday so I was busy and then I had friends over all weekend, so that's my excuse for not updating. It may be a lame one, but it doesn't faze me when teachers say it, and it won't when you say it!**

**Speaking of annoying teachers and lame excuses, I'm actually supposed to be doing math homework right now, but we all know that's no fun. Especially 9****th**** grade algebra *shudders***

**Being 15 is nice. I'm one year closer to being out of this hellhole!**

**Then I'll move to an aquamarine house by the seaside, marry a zombie, and have a pet unicorn named Princess Jodie. I'll have three daughters named Annabelle Lynn, Bellanira Rose, and Evangeliene Lily. Although I don't believe it's biologically possible to have kids with a dead guy, freaky things happen, I mean it happened to Bella and Edward….**

**AND WE'LL ALL LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND-yeah I'm done…**

_One month. It had been approximately one month since Katherine Barlow's life took a turn for the worst. _

_One month since she'd found her true love. _

_One month since he was taken away from her, taking Miss Katherine, the sweet, innocent, and caring schoolteacher with him, leaving this vengeful spirit of a woman in her place. _

_One month since she'd killed two people. The sheriff of Green Lake, and a bank clerk whom she'd never met, in a town which she'd never been to. _

_Now she wandered through the Texas plains, with nothing now, not even her horse. He had taken off one day when she turned her back, seeming eager to escape her company. _

_Kate wandered around aimlessly, not really caring where she was going. The sun was beating down on her. Her only shade was her hat. She was thankful she'd used the money she'd robbed to buy some new clothes. Her heavy dresses and corsets wouldn't do in this kind of weather. She now wore men's clothes, denim trousers and a white shirt with a vest. She probably could pass as a man if it weren't for her long, now greasy blonde hair billowing in the wind. _

_Kate was tired and hungry, so she was relieved when she spotted the charred remains of an old tree. She slumped against it and pulled out a sandwich. She had bought it yesterday, so it was melted and spoiled from the heat, but it was better than nothing. She bit into it, tasting its sourness and grimacing. She hadn't eaten in a week, and it was nice to finally get something in her stomach. _

_Tossing her sandwich wrapper aside carelessly, she opened her journal. Tucked safely inside it was the feather, greeting her along with a clean white page._

June 1890 (still don't know the day)

Just tasted the most disgusting sandwich I've ever eaten. It's so hot outside, but it doesn't even matter. On the inside I'm cold.

I've stayed in several different inns, nobody even suspects anything. Nobody suspects that I've killed two people, or robbed a bank.

But I got some new clothes. I'm wearing mostly trousers now, as they're more practical for my situation. My wardrobe now mostly consists of reds, blacks, and browns. Not that it's even a wardrobe. More like whatever I stuffed in my bag.

I'll have to steal another horse, I suppose. Mine took off. Smart boy, he must be. Go running back to civilization while I'm out here, frying in the sun. I won't last much longer, but I don't really care.

_Kate decided to lie down and rest. She took off her hat and laid her head down on her bag. She looked up through the branches of the tree. The sun was setting in the distance. _

_Kate noticed something orange hanging off of one of the branches. She tried to shrug it off and told herself it doesn't matter, but found herself standing up and reaching for it. _

_Growing off of the dead black tree, the only visible form of life, was a large, fuzzy, perfectly ripe peach._

**I feel like this chapter was crap, but I'm really tired now. So go ahead, review, critique, virtually kill me, blah blah blah…**

**Just remember, you can't sit on MY OWN bed and call me a nipple.**

**~Sabrina**


	11. June 1890 still

**IT'S FRIDAY FRIDAY! GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY!**

**^That's what my music teacher sings every Friday. Everyone begs him to stop. I guess I wouldn't know today, because I didn't go to school. As much as I hate school, having a sinus infection, bronchitis, and insomnia is no trip to Disney World either. I was up all night. I have such dark circles under my eyes I look like a raccoon. **

**Since I still can't take a nap, I'll just write this here chapter =) **

**My beloved reviewers:**

**Ujemaima: Aww thank you so much. I'm glad you like the story :D Btw, most people don't find me very funny. Just annoying and odd. So that made my day C: And another thing, I know I'm a stalker, but I read your profile. I noticed you seem to like Harry Potter stories of the Snape/Lily sort. That makes you awesome ^_^ **

**Fortheloveofbacon: We ditched our homework for fanfiction. Heheh, we're bad people C: And for that reason, I'm about to get busted. My mom gets weekly reports from teachers on how I'm doing, and I haven't done ANY math homework this week. But I'm convinced algebra is pointless, so I'm not too worried =)**

**Music, art, English, and History are my niches :D**

**But aside from my pointless rambling, thanks for all the reviews. The outlaw chapters are kind of hard to write, because there are so many options, but I want it to sound right you know? Yeah I don't know what the hell I'm saying.**

**Story time!**

_Kate sat slumped against a tree. She had finally reached grassland. It was like a little oasis. The weeping willow tree hung over a small pond. She decided to stay here for a while until she came up with a new plan. The tree provided her shade, and it was still in the middle of scenic know-where. _

_The green grass and the sparkling water reminded her of happier times._

_The cool pond water soothed Kate's sun-burned skin as she bathed. The skin on her shoulders was peeling off in layers, and her lips were blistering. _

_Kate laid back and submerged herself completely under water, hoping to get some of the dirt off of her face. She cursed herself for not bringing soap. Smart packing, idiot. _

_When she surfaced, she noticed something white beneath the surface of the pond. She looked down. Then she saw him. _

_Sam. He was floating up to her, becoming more and more visible. Kate held her arms out, and her hand brushed the fabric of his shirt. She could touch him. He was real…he had to be…_

_She sat down and lifted him by his suspenders, cradling his head on her chest. He looked so peaceful, like he was asleep. He'll wake up any minute now. _

"_Sam…you came back…" she cried, holding him close. Tears of happiness threatened to spill over. But he wasn't breathing, and his body was cold. She began to panic._

"_Sam…wake up." She shook him gently. He didn't stir. _

"_Sam...I'm here, love. Open your eyes." She shook him again and stroked his cheek. She laid her head on his chest. No heartbeat. When she removed her hand from his back, it was covered in blood. _

_Sam had been shot in the back…_

"_Sam, you have to wake up…please…" she was sobbing uncontrollably. The events of that horrible night came rushing back. _

_Kate closed her eyes. _

"_Please God…bring him back to me…let him stay…don't take him…"_

_She opened her eyes. Her arms were empty. _

"_No…no! Come back! Come back!" she looked around. Silence. Kate was all alone._

_God will punish you, they said. And they were right. This is God, playing a cruel joke on me, she thought. She didn't care about God right now. She just wanted to be with Sam. And she would. Right now. _

_Kate was about to hold herself under water, never to emerge, when she found she wasn't alone._

"_Hey, lady!"_

_The voice startled her, and she turned to see two men. One was very tall, with a cowboy hat and a black mustache. The other was a short Native American. He had long wavy black hair that hung in his face. Both men wore all black trousers and shirts. The short one was pointing a gun at her. But when they saw her face, theirs softened and twisted into surprise and delight. _

_So these two strange men just interrupted her suicide attempt, pointing a gun at her, and now they're just standing there grinning like imbeciles. Anger and annoyance took over Kate._

"_What the hell do you want?" she snapped. The men only grinned wider._

"_Kissin' Kate Barlow." The tall one muttered in awe._

_She'd never been called "kissin' Kate" before, but Kate Barlow was her name._

"_How do you know? Who are you?" she asked. _

"_Ma'm, my name is Jacob Hill, but you call me Jake. This here is Chayton." The tall mustache man gestured to the short native American. _

"_It means "falcon"." Smiled Chayton, obviously proud of this._

"_I would shake your hand, but that just wouldn't be proper in your situation." Laughed Jake. _

_Kate hoped they would go away._

"_Well it's been a pleasure, Ms. Barlow, but we should get going. Big fans of you, we are. Will you still be here tomorrow?" Jake asked. Kate shrugged irritably. The men walked off. Jake began to walk away, and Chayton stood there and smiled at her long enough for it to be unsettling to Kate._

"_C'mon, falcon boy!" Jake yelled back. Chayton trotted after him._

_Once they were out of sight, Kate got out of the pond and dressed. She then slumped against the tree and buried her head in her knees. She had a headache. She didn't want "fans". _

_All she wanted was to change the past. _

_She wanted Sam. She wanted him alive and well, even if that meant to never be with him._

_But the past can't be undone. _

_She would avenge her lover by making them all sorry for his wrongful death. But it would be hard to do it on her own…_

I met some strange men today. Their names are Jake and Chayton. I think I've decided to befriend them if they come back. It might be nice to have some company. It'll be much easier to rob banks and get away with murder with other's help.

**Well, there you go :D I know, I know, it sucks, but I have a stomach ache and was trying to finish this up, so I ended it kind of abruptly. I cried while writing that one part too, so that didn't help me feel any better :( **

**Chayton's name is pronounced Shay-tin, just so you know. And it actually is Sioux for "falcon". He's going to be an interesting character, I think.**

**OMG! I finally got my friend to get a fanfiction account :D I'll let you know when she posts something. **

**I hope to be updating soon, but right now I'm going to-well, I don't know what. Lay down and try not to puke? Sounds about right…**

**Love and Pickle Juice,**

**Sabrina**


	12. November 1890

**Hello my little poopsie doos! Welcome back for yet another chapter in the Kate saga. I'm feeling much better now and am ready to write! c: Hehe, I just love making those little smileys!**

**I just found out that I love peaches, which somehow inspired me to think about this story. I'm sorry if this story is becoming more and more choppy as I'm writing the outlaw years, but I mean it's 20 years, a lot to think about. I need to start drawing the days out, y'know? If I write a chappy for every single day, or even every month, I'd have a thousand chapters that I'd get sick of writing and you'd probably get sick of reading. So, it'll be interesting…**

"_Put the money in the bag!"_

_The little blonde haired man at the desk cowered, staring up at Kate and her partner with wide green eyes._

"_Y-yes, ma'm!" he began to get up, and headed to the back. Kate shoved her pistol into the gun holster Jake had given her, and crossed her arms impatiently. Chayton had insisted on holding the money bag, and stood in front of her. Jake just stood in the doorway, grinning at the scene before him with amusement, ready to withdraw his own gun if needed. _

_The bank teller bustled out of the back room, a large sack slung over his shoulder. He let it slide around his arm and held it out to Kate. _

"_Go ahead. Dump it in." she gestured toward the bag Chayton was holding. Chayton shook the bag in the bank teller's face, a mad grin on his face._

_The bank teller nodded and began to pour. Shiny coins of silver and gold and green bundles of cash spilled into the outlaws' bag, which was actually an old flour sack they had picked up in the middle of nowhere. The bank teller pulled the bag back and began to turn around and walk back._

"_Wait!" Kate stopped him. He nervously turned around to face the pretty outlaw._

"_Give me that." She commanded the bank teller. _

"_It's empty ma'm."_

"_Excuse me?" Kate glared at him, fire in her blue eyes. He swiftly handed her the sack. This woman had a gun, and he wasn't about to test her willingness to use it. _

_Kate looked in the bag. It wasn't empty. Coins and stacks of money lay at the bottom. Kate looked up at the frightened bank teller._

"_Wrong choice, buddy." She pulled her pistol._

_And pulled the trigger._

_She kissed him on the forehead, leaving a perfect blood red lip mark on his face, which was gruesomely twisted in horror._

"_Let's go, boys!" Kate called. She held the bank teller's almost empty sack, while Chayton held the large sack. They took off out the back door._

_Thank goodness they all had stolen horses again. Kate's horse was a grey mare, whom she named Lily. She'd always wanted to have a daughter, and would've named her Lily._

_Chayton's horse was a dark bay mare, named Kachina._

_Jake's was a chestnut gelding, named Jeffrey. _

_They quickly hopped onto their horses' backs. Jake didn't make it the first time, and instead fell on his butt, his hat falling off in the process. Chayton laughed at him. Even Jake's horse, Jeffrey, nickered as if amused._

"_C'mon you bumbling idiots!" Kate snarled. The two men quickly were on their horses. They knew better than to push Kate's temper._

_The trio rode into the horizon, not once stopping to look back. _

Kate rolled over, and opened her eyes when underneath her was something softer and warmer than the ground she was used to sleeping on. What she opened her eyes to was just as startling. There was no sand, no buildings, no sky.

Instead, she found herself sleeping on a bed. As she looked around her room, realization hit her.

She was in her cabin. In Green Lake.

Relief washed over her. It was all a dream, a very long, vivid nightmare. She wasn't some outlaw killer called-what was it? Kissin' Kate? That was it. She actually laughed. What a strange dream! It was upsetting, but she could laugh at it now that it was over. She was Miss Katherine Barlow, the school teacher. She loved children. She'd never robbed a bank. And she'd certainly never killed anyone. Kissing the men she killed? How odd! Why would she do such a demented, awful thing?

What about Sam?

He wasn't dead! He was alive. But he didn't do any of those things. Never fixed the roof, the windows, the desk, the door. Never recited poetry with her. Never fell in love with her. Never kissed her on that cold stormy night.

It was strange. Her heart fluttered when she thought of him. His smile, his voice, his eyes, the warm feeling of his arms around her and his soft lips on hers. So she was in love with a dream image of him? She didn't know…

Maybe she would just forget about it. It was only a dream…

Katherine was startled when a young girl, probably about 10, rushed into the room. She had long black hair and big dark eyes. Her skin was very pale, contrasting her dark features. She wore a light blue dress.

"Good morning, mommy!" the girl ran to Katherine's bedside and threw her arms around her. Katherine felt a sense of déjà vu, like she knew and loved this child. But who was she?

"Honey, what's your name?" Katherine asked the child, who only looked up at her with curiosity. She had a very familiar twinkle in her eye.

"I'm Lily Annabel Barlow." The girl said innocently. Like saying her full name was a normal routine that she did every day.

It hit Katherine like a brick. This was her daughter. She had a daughter. She and _Sam_ had a daughter. She was so beautiful. More so than she'd ever dreamed for.

"Can you braid my hair before we go?" Lily asked.

"Where are we going?" Katherine asked the girl.

"To school, mommy!" Lily laughed.

Katherine got up and began combing the little girl's dark hair. It was soft and slightly wavy, reaching the middle of her back. After she braided it, Lily handed her a blue ribbon that matched her dress.

Katherine picked out a dress that she didn't remember having before, but it was beautiful. The top was a lilac purple with lace around the neck line, while the skirt was light purple and white gingham.

As soon as Katherine and Lily stepped outside hand in hand, Lily ran towards a small paddock, which held a donkey. Mary Lou.

Katherine followed her.

The old donkey walked up to greet them. Lily stroked the animal's soft muzzle.

Lily soon grabbed a hold of her mother's hand and began to head towards the schoolhouse.

When she walked in, none of the faces looked familiar. As she took attendance, none of the names did, either. Abigail Browning. Kimberley Parker. David Paxton. Elizabeth Birch. William Sanderson. Johnny Arlington. They weren't the same children as before.

For the heck of it, Katherine asked the class what the date was.

"March 18, 1901." They all answered in unison.

11 years gone by that were all a blur?

…..

A couple hours later, Katherine sat grading papers. The children had wanted to do a poetry lesson, so they did. Lily had insisted on going home. Katherine was actually kind of glad, although she already loved her daughter. She needed some alone time to think. She glanced out the window and saw that it was raining.

She also saw Sam.

He was feeding Mary Lou an onion.

Katherine immediately jumped out of her chair and ran outside. She didn't care if she got wet.

She threw her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. She could feel him stiffen up, probably taken by surprise. His arms were soon around her, though. It was so good to feel his warm body and hear his heart beating. He held her for a moment, before speaking.

"Katherine, what's wrong?" He cupped her cheek and tilted her face up to meet his. She was crying, tears mixed with rain running down her face.

"Is Lily okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes. She's perfect." Katherine smiled and sniffed. "You're perfect." She hugged him again.

"I just had the strangest dream. I-I thought I lost you." She looked into his eyes, all the pain of her dream rushing back. Trout, the sheriff, the gunshot. It was all so vivid. "Please don't leave me. I'm so scared, Sam!" she cried into his chest again. He lifted her chin up again.

"I can fix that." The he kissed her, holding her close.

_Kate's eyes snapped open. She was cold. And alone. She looked around. Jake and Chayton slept with sleeping bags a few feet away. All three horses were standing up with their heads drooping, asleep as well. _

_It all became clear. She was an outlaw. She had been for months. She had robbed a bank and killed a man today in Houston, along with her two "mates". She was no longer a school teacher in Green Lake. She didn't have a daughter._

_Sam was dead._

_For the first time since May, Kissin' Kate Barlow did what she'd forced herself not to do for 6 months._

_She cried._

**You may ask this; Do I enjoy making people cry? Actually I kind of do. I'm on the verge of tears right now as well, so we have that in common. Damn this was long! I'm going to sleep. It's after midnight and tomorrow, well technically today I guess now, is Monday. Icky!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter and it didn't, like, make your day depressing. I know there wasn't a diary entry here, but I guess we've got the dream sequence instead. The title of this story is becoming more and more unfitting. Should I change it? Reviews make me smile c: See?**

**Love and Pickle Juice,**

**Sabrina**


	13. Christmas 1890

**It's been about a month since I updated. I haven't really had writer's block; it's just as simple as actually being too lazy to get out my crappy laptop and type. And there's the fact that I made the mistake of reading through my own story. Always a big no-no when trying to keep your inspiration and your self esteem up. Sigh. Well, here goes…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Holes or any of the characters. I don't own any real people or places mentioned.**

_Flurries fell through the frigid sky at dawn. Snow was rare in the Southern United States, but celebrated on such a holiday as this. It was Christmas morning, and everyone in San Antonio, Texas was laying their burdens down in celebration of this joyous time. That is with the exception of a certain group of outlaws…_

December 25, 1890

It's Christmas. But this year, I'm not in a jolly mood. It reminds me of that story by Charles Dickens about the man that had a depressing life and therefore hated Christmas. I think his name was Scrooge. Now I remember it was called A Christmas Carol.

I have nobody to spend it with. Well, I have my two imbeciles, but that's all they are. They're only here to work for me, nothing more. I'm not looking forward to spending the holidays stuck with them.

…

_Kate and her posse were huddled in a dark alley between two old deserted buildings. One an old restraunt and the other an old courthouse, both of them partially burned. When Kate looked at them, she thought of her schoolhouse in Green Lake. This is what it looks like now. Dead._

_Kate also thought of the rest of the town of Green Lake. They were probably celebrating like always. _

_Every year, the townspeople would attend a church service at 9:00 a.m. A party at the Walker estate would then follow._

_The first Christmas Kate spent in Green Lake she attended the Walker's party. There was dancing and laughter. But things got wild beyond Kate's comfort level. _

…_.._

Music echoed through the halls of the mansion. The orchestra played energetically, swaying happily to the melody of their own instruments . Parents waltzed with their children. Couples held hands and whispered sweet nothings to each other. A group of women known as the town gossips stood together, keeping an eye on the crowd and checking out what everyone was wearing and who they were with. A group of men were sitting in the back corner of the room, laughing obnoxiously and chugging whisky greedily.

An 18 year old Katherine sat at a table by herself. She came to the party because everyone else was going, even though she'd never met the Walkers. She may have a chance to meet them, maybe get to know some people. But frankly she wasn't enjoying herself. The other women scoffed at her quietly, while men were giving her hungry stares. Katherine stood up and smoothed her red skirt down. She reached down to pick up her coat, which was resting on the back of her chair.

"Hey!"

Katherine whirled around to face her confronter. He was a young man, perhaps a few years older than her. He wore a nice tuxedo and his brown hair was sleek and neatly smoothed back. Katherine knew right away he must've had good money.

"I'm sorry. You're just too pretty to be sittin' all the way over here by yourself. I'm Trout Walker." He extended a hand to her and she took it hesitantly. So this was the famous Trout Walker, son of Thomas Walker; owner of Green Lake.

Katherine heard that his real name was Charles. Most called him Trout because his feet smelled like fish. He was proud of this nickname. How charming.

Trout leaned in closer to the young woman's face, not letting go of her hand. Katherine could smell the faint stench of alcohol on his breath.

"How about a dance?" He smiled at her, showing a gleaming gold tooth.

"Alright." Responded Katherine curtly. Why not? He seemed a little arrogant, but he was polite enough. One dance wouldn't hurt. She had nothing else to do, and staying to dance was better than just going home and being alone for the rest of the night.

Trout led Katherine out onto the dance floor. It was the perfect timing. Applause rang out as the orchestra members bowed and exchanged looks while repositioning themselves and their instruments. They began to play again, this time much slower.

Trout guided Katherine's hand to rest on his shoulder, as he placed his on her waist and pulled her closer. She shifted uncomfortably at the contact, but Trout didn't notice. He began to whirl her around in a waltz. They moved awkwardly, Katherine because of discomfort, and Trout because of the whisky and beer.

Katherine had a fear of alcohol. Her father had been an alcoholic and abused her mother and sometimes even her. When Katherine was a child, he would go to bars and then come back late at night. Katherine would quickly depart to her bedroom when she heard that door open, knowing what was coming. She couldn't understand his heavily slurred words as he yelled at her mother. She buried her mind into her books, which allowed her to go somewhere far away.

She had hated her childhood, even though her family was wealthy enough to get her the things she wanted. She felt like her parents never really loved her. Her father had made it clear he would've rather had a son, and her mother had been difficult as well. She didn't agree with her daughter's heavy interest in books and poetry or any of her general ideas. She believed women only lived to please men and raise their children. Katherine came to the conclusion that it made sense then that she put up with an abusive husband.

Katherine's mother died of the flu when she was 16. Her father often blamed her for her mother's death, calling her "the devil child" and other unspeakable names.

Katherine left Dallas and settled south in Green Lake that summer after she turned 18.

Trout caressed her side, bringing her back to reality. She glanced up at him, a smile stretched across his face.

"You alright sweet pea?" he asked her, quirking an eyebrow questioningly. She nodded, as much as it creeped her out that he'd called her "sweet pea".

Katherine was going to leave as soon as this song was over. Trout hadn't actually done anything. She just felt insecure with him. She felt like he was trying to flirt with her, and she wasn't interested. She wanted to fall in love, like what she read about. She didn't want to end up like her mother. And already she could just see Trout being like her father.

After what seemed like eternity, the orchestra stopped playing and the party goers applauded. Katherine pulled away from Trout. She was startled when he didn't let go of her.

"Hey, hey! None of that, now." His hand still lingered on her waist. His other hand tightened around hers.

"I'm sorry, but I really need to get going Mr. Walker." She told him, attempting to pull away again.

"Oh, c'mon girl. Just a bit longer." He wrapped his whole arm around her waist tightly, pulling her further into him. She could really smell the alcohol on him. She noticed the other guests watching them. The women were staring at them with anticipation, while the men were looking at Trout with admiration and jealousy.

He brought his hand up to her cheek and pulled her face close to his. Katherine pushed his body away with her hand and kneed him. He stumbled back in surprise and pain. Katherine took off out the door. She could hear some people laughing and "ooh"-ing. She ran in the direction of her cabin, tears of embarrassment beginning to flow, but stopped when she sensed a motion in the corner of her eye.

A man was huddled next to the trees. Next to him was a cart attached to a sleeping donkey that had a blanket over its back. He stood up. A blanket was wrapped around his shoulders as well.

What caught her attention was the color of his skin. He was the first black person she'd seen in this town. Oh how she'd always hated racism! The poor guy was out here alone and cold, and it was probably all because of the color of his skin. But there was something else that caught her attention even more.

Even through the darkness, she could see that he was looking at her with so much sympathy and kindness. He began to walk toward her.

But Katherine just couldn't take any more. She fled to the comforts of her home, burying herself in her bed and waiting for the end of this joyous holiday gone bad.

….

_A tear fell on the page of Kate's journal. She wiped her face quickly. She hadn't officially met Sam until several days after that, though he never mentioned seeing her that night. Right away he had been the most kind hearted person she had ever met. He was NOTHING like her father. He would have been the most amazing father a child could ever wish for._

_Early Christmas carolers were knocking on doors and singing their happy tunes. Kate wiped her face again. She needed to bring back the cold and temperamental outlaw she was before awaking the posse and leaving. _

_She dropped her blanket and nudged at the sleeping mounds on the ground with her foot. They moaned and stirred before throwing the sleeping bags off themselves._

"_Let's go. We're no longer safe here."_

**TROUT IS A SEXUAL PREDATOR! D: I felt a need to say that. I'm just making him worse and worse aren't I? **

**I really think there needs to be a movie just about Kate's story. Don't you think?**

**I'm going to sleepy bye now. It'll make me super duper happy to wake up to some reviews *hint hint***

**Love and Pickle Juice,**

**~Sabrina/ Grandfather**


End file.
